Part of the London Metropolitan Archives: Word on the Street Festival

Monday 15 May 6.00pm-8.00pm Start: Farringdon Station (Turnmill Street entrance), Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6BY. Offered as part of the London Metropolitan Archives: ‘Word on the Street Festival: Migration – let’s talk about it‘

Join others on this fun and participatory creative writing walkshop (walking workshop) to compose, recite and publish haiku while discovering some of the migration history of Clerkenwell.  The 3 line short form poems, often constrained by a number of syllables, haiku are most often associated with Japanese culture.  They pre-date the Tweet or text by several hundred years, and challenge one to be concise.  More sophisticated haiku include seasonal and site-responsive ‘signifiers’ that prompt experiential and emotional responses from the reader.

The neighbourhood of Clerkenwell has a rich heritage, in part due to the number of migrants that have lived and settled here.  Street names, building facades and faith buildings hint at who has come to make this neighbourhood their home. The walkshop will follow a circular route through six hundred years of history, giving ample opportunity for you to discover and respond to in haiku.

Whether a novice or an expert, haiku are fun to compose, and even more fun to recite.  You can become an accomplished haiku-ist by the end of the walkshop (walking workshop), and have the opportunity of seeing your work in print!  You will be given the option to share your work more wisely, as we will be publishing a ‘zine’ anthology of haiku.

Booking administered by the London Metropolitan Archives Tickets: £10

In October 2016, the London Metropolitan Archives and The Charterhouse were origin and destination points for First Thursday: haiku on foot walkshop to mark National Poetry Day that included a linear walk through Clerkenwell – you can download and read the zine anthology to this walkshop and all the others that preceded it from here.

Walking in Step with: